Sprouts Aren't Just For Salads

Spring is a great time to try out micro-green recipes! Micro-greens and sprouts are teeming with enzymes to help digest our food!  Enzymes help turn carbs into glucose, fats into fatty acids, and proteins into amino acids so that our bodies can use them! Sprout seeds today, eat them tomorrow; plant micro-greens this week, harvest them next week. Repeat all season long until the frost.

Photo Credit: Kathryn Akomah-Mordi

Here are ten different ways to use sprouts or micro-greens. All recipes may be multiplied as needed to feed more hungry mouths

Crowned Salmon Burger - Makes 2 patties
3 oz. smoked salmon
1/4 c. sunflower sprouts (can use raw, unsprouted seeds)
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. salt
juice & zest of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp. cayenne
sliced tomato
micro-greens
Combine the salmon, sunflower sprouts, egg yolk, salt, lemon zest, and cayenne. Mix well. Form patties. Fry on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Top with tomato slices and micro-greens


Country Omelet - serves 1
2 mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 Tb. coconut oil
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 oz. swiss cheese, grated
1/4 c. sprouts or microgreens - mung bean are nice

Saute mushrooms and green onion in oil. Whisk eggs, salt and thyme. Pour over vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook until egg is set, 5-6 minutes. Serve with sprouts. *Note: if using a stong-flavored variety like cress or arugula, substitute lemon-pepper for the thyme.


Strawberry-Pea Salad - serves 1
1/2 c. strawberries, sliced
1/2 c. jicama, diced
1 c. pea shoots
1 Tb. apple cider vinegar
3 Tb. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard

Combine the berries, jicama, and pea shoots. Whisk together the vinegar, oil and mustard. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat.


Jewelled Curry (a very large entree for 1 person, or moderate entree for 2)
1 Tb. oil for frying (I prefer avocado oil for temperatures above medium heat)
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. chicken
1/2 c. each red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, diced
1/2 c. jicama, diced
1 Tb. curry powder (more or less to taste)
salt, if not included as an ingredient of your curry powder
micro-greens or sprouts

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic and chicken. Stir-fry until chicken turns white. Add remaining vegetables and curry powder, cooking just until vegetables are tender. Serve over rice if desired. Garnish liberally with sprouts.


Fresh Tomato Soup - Serves 1
1 large slicing tomato
1 roasted red pepper
1/4 c. soaked almonds
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes, soaked or oil-packed
1 clove garlic
salt to taste
1/4 c. sprouts or microgreens (basil sprouts are especially good)

Blend slicing tomato, red pepper, almonds, cloves, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and salt until smooth. Heat through. Garnish with sprouts


Taco Wrap - Makes 6
Wrap ingredients:
2 plantain bananas
6 eggs
2 Tb. coconut oil
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 c. coconut, almond, or light buckwheat flour

Filling ingredients:
1 1/2 c. cooked lentils
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. each salt & pepper
1 pinch each of garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano & paprika

Add-ins
Diced tomatoes
Fresh sprouts or microgreens

Sauce
1 avocado
1/2 c. cilantro leaves, lightly packed
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded
1/4 c. avocado oil

To make the wraps, blend plantains, eggs, oil, salt & flour until smooth. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into a pre-heated and oiled 10" skillet, swirling to evenly coat the bottom of the pan (or use the back of a spoon to spread). Cook uncovered over medium heat until edges begin to brown and top begins to dry and bubble. Flip and cook on other side 1-2 minutes more.

For the filling, combine the spices with the lentils and heat through.
For the sauce, blend avocado, cilantro, jalapeno and oil until smooth

To assemble, spread about 2 Tb. sauce on each wrap along with 1/4 c. lentil mix. Top with tomatoes and sprouts. Roll or fold.

Roasted Roots - serves 6 as a side dish
3 c. pared and cubed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, turnip, beet, rutabaga, yam)
1 Tb. olive oil
1/4 tsp. each salt, rosemary, oregano, thyme and marjoram
1 Tb. balsamic vinegar
micro-greens of your choice

Toss the vegetables with olive oil and the seasonings. Bake at 450 degrees until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, toss with vinegar and top with microgreens.


Elite Crackers and Cheese  Makes about 36 crackers
1 c. light buckwheat flour
3/4 c. almond meal
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. poultry spice
 3-4 Tb. coconut oil or butter
1/3 c. water
4 oz. soft chevre cheese
Micro-greens or sprouts


Combine dry ingredients. Cut in oil with a fork until mixture resembles fine gravel. Add water and knead until smooth. Let rest 30 minutes. Roll dough to 1/8" thick between two pieces of parchment paper. Remove top paper. Cut into squares with a pizza cutter. Lift parchment onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely. Spread with chevre cheese. Top with sprouts.


Vegetable Latkes- Makes 3 large pancakes
1 c. grated zucchini (can also use rutabaga, turnip, parsnip, carrot, beet, sweet potato, yam or squash)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. light buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tb. pure maple syrup
 Sprouts

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Spoon onto hot griddle, flattening slightly with back of spoon. Cook about 5 minutes on each side, until brown and set. Top with applesauce or yogurt and garnish liberally with sprouts.


Spring in the Tropics Smoothie - Serves 2
1 banana
1 orange
1 c. pineapple chunks
2 c. coconut milk
1 c. spinach micro-greens

Blend until smooth.